Cong. Smith says he’ll support latest debt ceiling bill

Republicans in the U-S House will try again today to find the votes needed to pass the budget-cutting, debt-extending bill being pushed by House Speaker John Boehner.

Nebraska Third District Congressman Adrian Smith says the current legislation is not all he wanted, but Smith says he’ll support it.

“Is it as aggressive on spending as I would prefer? No, but the fact of the matter is, it cuts more than it increases the debt ceiling,” Smith says. “That is unprecedented. That is historic. I cannot turn my back on a way to prevent default, make cuts, make sure that we put a balanced budget amendment before the American people.”

In his speech earlier this week, President Obama urged Americans to call their representatives. Smith says he spent some time taking those calls from Nebraskans himself.

“They’re frustrated and I can’t blame them,” Smith says. “This kind of bickering that takes place. It wasn’t that long ago when the president wanted to spend more money as a means of stimulating the economy. Evidence is in that that hasn’t worked. That’s why I’m glad we’ve changed the debate from how much to spend to how much to cut.”